This invention relates to a computerized editing and composing system and a method of the same; and, more particularly, to a system and a method of editing and composing for literature, scientific documents, text books and magazines, etc.
In scientific and technical press works mentioned above, there are a great deal of complicated mathematical, physical and chemical formulas and chemical structural formulas involved. It is very difficult and inefficient to set those formulas with the conventional stereotype. A skilled compositor can only set three to four plates for those complicated scientific press works and the comprehensive efficiency therefore is only one to two layouts of printed sheet. With three times of proofing and modification of the press, the publishing cycle is so long that the publication of scientific and technical press works becomes a serious problem.
Effort has been made to shorten the publishing cycle by experts both in China and the world. For instance, Mathematical Editing System (MES), NROFF and TROFF, by Bell Labs., UK; TEX system by Prof. Knoth, Stanford University, U.S.A.; Keystore system, Monotype Corp., UK; Computer Processing System for Chemical Structural Formula, Kabushiki Kaisha, Japan; TTS system, by Zheng Min et al., Beijing University, P.R. China; Hua Wei system and Ke Yin system based on Hua Wei system, by Yin Bujiu et al, the applicants of the present invention, China Printing Research Institute, P.R. China.
Most of the methods adopted by the above systems are descriptive commands or semi-descriptive commands; i.e., the complex formulas are accomplished by the commands in which formula position, character size, character style, formula structures and formula relations are defined by special symbol-control codes. Hence, the operating is still not visual and modifying is difficult. By using descriptive commands, modification is done by batch processing. For instance, let's try to input the following multi-layer continued fraction expression: ##EQU1## For each layer, you must define the beginning of the fraction; then, the numerators and the denominators; finally, the end of the fraction. If the mathematical symbols, such as superscript, subscript and integral, are contained in the numerators or denominators, you must also define where to start the integral and its upper and lower limits, and the end of the integral. An operator has to face such a situation in which he is unable to see the output effect from the screen when he is writing scientific formulas to the system. When a modification must be made, the operator has to find where the control code is from the descriptive command which causes the mistake. It is very hard and tedious work.
Another system of the prior art is called the Image Processing System (IPS); a patent application was filed with Europe Patent Organization on Nov. 14, 1985 (the date of priority is Nov. 14, 1984) by Canon Corp., Japan. Page design is supported by the formal file library, and the layout of the page is displayed on the screen by graphics. IPS is designed to process Japanese, English and graphics, with no concern for scientific setting functions.
As far as scientific composition is concerned, the key problem is complex mathematical and chemical structural formulas. Nevertheless, as far as complex mathematical and chemical formulas are concerned, the key features are the varieties of the formats and the frequent change of character style and character size as well as large-scale position changes on screens. It differs from text composition in line-alignment and column-alignment. If those formulas are expressed by descriptive commands, a great number of descriptive commands and parameters must be used. Therefore, the problems mentioned above are unavoidable. If interactive batch processing is used, it would produce the following shortcoming operations are complicated and not visual, mistakes are easily made and they are hard to correct.
A first object of the present invention is to provide a computerized scientific publishing system with application and methods by which the operator can compose text, scientific formulas, chemical structural formulas and music staves, etc., which are displayed on the screen with flexibility and convenience.
A further object of the present invention is to provide not only front-end processing for a laser compositor, but also a computerized scientific publishing system.
A further object of the present invention is to provide a computerized publishing system which integrates the functions of writing, editing, typesetting, illustration and page design.
A further object of the present invention is to provide a computerized scientific publishing system which can produce the output in different resolutions for different users consistent with output formats.
The invention also provides a simple, convenient environment in which the operator can immediately see the effect on the screen when any operational step is made.
A further object of the present invention is to provide a computerized publishing system and its method by which the operator works with a graphic operating interface. The text processing is automatically and simultaneously accomplished by the system according to the user's operations.
In comparison with the prior art, the present invention has the following features:
The invention provides a simple, visual, convenient operating interface between the operator and the system. The feature known as "What You See Is What You Get" is applied for text, scientific formulas and chemical structural formulas, etc.
The composing operation of complicated scientific formulas, according to the present invention, is greatly simplified. It is easy to input, to set and to modify. The efficiency of scientific publishing is greatly increased.
In accordance with the system and the method of the present invention, conventional printing techniques and equipment can be partially or completely replaced by the present invention. The working environment can be improved, and the labor and energy can be saved.
In accordance with the system and the method of the present invention, graphics can be accomplished by the functions of drag (drag down to desired shape by the Mouse), move, copy, continuous zoom (zoom-in and zoom-out). Those functions are flexible and practical.
In accordance with the system and the method of the present invention, text editing functions of addition, deletion, modification, and insertion can be combined with move, copy, zoom, overlap, multi-layer display, color processing, window technique, etc., providing an abundant, convenient way to modify text for the operator.
The system and the method of the present invention enable research institutes, colleges, publishers and even individuals to do composing work.
The system of the present invention is equipped with the Mouse. Position can be accurately set by using cursor movement keys and red-cross indicator. The technique results in the effect of "What You See Is What You Get".
The system and the method of the present invention have high resolution display, multiple English character styles, mathematical symbols display, and the Chinese character styles of Song, imitated Song, black and regular script as well as Chinese characters from 1 to 100 points.
The system of the present invention adopts the input method of Chinese, English, scientific symbols, including the characters and symbols in the first and second level of the International Chinese Standard Code, 94 basic characters in ASCII code, mathematical symbols, complicated mathematical formulas, chemical molecular and structural formulas (e.g., benzene ring), graphics and tables, etc.
The system and method of the present invention provide not only the basic editing functions of addition, deletion, insertion, and modification, but also special editing functions, such as, conversion of character style, zoom-in and zoom-out functions for character and page, graphic duplication and graphic move.
In accordance with the system and method of the present invention, books on the theory of literature and art, scientific documents, newspapers and magazines with pictures can be produced.
The system and method of the present invention can mix typesetting of different character size and different languages; center text with left alignment, right alignment, or equal spacing; punctuate logically in the beginning or at the end of a line, separate English syllables with automatic soft hyphens, process multi-columns and set horizontal and vertical and arbitrary across-transferring processing.
The system and method of the present invention can perform Tri-layer setting operations. The method is visual and simple, and is easy to learn and understand. Users can freely perform complicated mathematical formulas, such as multi-layer summation, multi-layer integral, multi-layer limit, multi-layer product, multi-layer superscript, multi-layer subscript, multi-layer root expression, multi-layer fraction expression, vector expression and matrix expression, etc.
In accordance with the system and method of the present invention, the setting of chemical structural formulas is performed by means of the graphic function and several other techniques so that difficult problems, such as drawing a benzene ring, are solved.
In accordance with the system and method of the present invention, the layout of press works on the screen can be modified at any time. Where you point is where you modify. The conventional method of modifying function is totally changed.
In order to clearly illustrate the differences between the prior techniques and the present invention, FIG. 34 is provided for comparison. The Super Science Setting System (4S) in FIG. 34 is an embodied system of the present invention. The 4S includes:
Input device for inputting characters and commands; PA1 Computer unit for controlling the operations; PA1 Display device for displaying the layout of printing in real-time; PA1 Character generating system and character library for accommodating characters to the system; and PA1 An Input/Output interface device. PA1 Input module for decoding the characters and commands inputted from the input device; PA1 Display module for retrieving the characters from the character generating system and character library and displaying them according to the output of the input module; PA1 Editing module for carrying out real-time editing processing of displayed contents under the control of the decoded commands from the input module; and PA1 Setting module for carrying out real-time setting processing of characters and graphics inputted from the input device under the control of the decoded commands of the input module and the support of setting rule library. PA1 Graphic input submodule used to digitize graphic information which is inputted from input device; PA1 Character input submodule used to select input method for characters; PA1 Position input submodule used to receive the commands controlling the positions of the characters and graphics inputted from input device; PA1 Control command input submodule used to receive the editing, setting and displaying commands inputted from the input device; PA1 Decoding processing module used to receive the output of the submodules mentioned above and then decode them. PA1 Several operating submodules used to perform the operation of graphic setting, graphic move, copy, delete, insert, as well as changing character style and size in response to the decoding commands of the decoding process control module; PA1 Several processing submodules used to simultaneously perform the operations of correspondent text registration, deletion and rename in response to the operational results of the operating submodule. PA1 Several setting submodules used to perform the operation of scientific formulas, texts, halftone graphics, chemical structural formulas, music staves and drawing, as required by the operator, in response to the decoded commands of the decoding processing module; and PA1 Several setting text processing submodules used to simultaneously perform the operations of concerned text registration, deletion and modification in response to the results of the setting submodule. PA1 Halftone graphic display submodule for sending graphic information to graphic display buffers; PA1 Line graphic display submodule for carrying out calculation on line-art, and sending the calculated graphic data to the graphic display buffers; PA1 English character display submodule used to determine the display positions of characters and inquire the status of concerned characters from the character library and then send the character information to the graphic display buffers; PA1 Chinese character display submodule used to assign the display position of character, query the character style and then send character information to the graphic display buffers; and PA1 Graphic deletion and zoom processing submodule used to retrieve original graphic data from the graphic display buffers. Then the graphic data are logically calculated, or proportionally reduced or enlarged at user's request, and the processed graphic data are then sent to the graphic display buffers. PA1 Characters and commands are inputted through the input device; PA1 Characters and commands are decoded by editing and setting processing devices and the decoded characters and commands are edited or composed and displayed under the control of commands after being decoded; and PA1 The processed results of the editing and composing processing devices are displayed on a monitor in real-time. PA1 A front-setting command for scientific formulas is inputted by the input device; PA1 A switching command is inputted by the input device; and PA1 A rear-setting command for scientific formulas is inputted by the input device. PA1 The front-setting commands for scientific formulas are sequentially inputted by the input device; PA1 The switching commands are sequentially inputted by the input device; and PA1 The rear-setting commands for scientific formulas are sequentially inputted by the input device. PA1 Characters are inputted by the input device after the front setting commands of certain scientific formulas have been inputted; and PA1 Characters are inputted by the input device after the switching commands have been inputted. PA1 The music staves are processed in one graphic layer, and the notes and marks, etc., are processed in another graphic layer. PA1 A first position is assigned in the graphic interface, a second position is inputted by the input device; and PA1 A graphic benzene ring is automatically generated in accordance with the first position and the second position is associated with the hexagonal benzene ring graph. PA1 By setting up the first position of the benzene ring, the shape and the size of the benzene ring can be continuously changed by changing position 2 via the input device; and PA1 Deleting the previous graphic of the benzene ring, a new graphic is generated according to the current position.
An editing and composing processing device, including input module, editing module, setting module, display module and setting rule library; the input device receiving the characters and commands from the I/0 interface; the received characters, accommodated by the character library, are manipulated under the control of the computer unit.
A driving module is used to convert the output according to the requirements of different peripheral devices, and send them to the peripheral devices; the output is printed out, under the control of an internal control unit, by peripheral devices with different resolutions.
The editing and composing processing devices mentioned above further includes:
The input module mentioned above further includes:
The editing module mentioned above further includes:
The setting module mentioned above further includes:
The text processing submodule and setting text submodule in the editing module and setting module include, respectively, a RAM storing the operational results of the text registration, deletion and modification.
The display module mentioned above further includes:
In accordance with the present invention, a computerized publishing method comprises the following steps:
The method further comprises the operations of registration, deletion or modification for text record and store the steps of obtaining the operational results.
By using the method, the steps at which the operator set scientific press works by the inputted device include:
The method further comprises the following steps:
The computerized publishing method mentioned above further comprises the following steps:
The computerized publishing method further comprises the step that graphics and characters are separately processed in order to display them in different graphic layers.
The computerized publishing method mentioned above further comprises the following steps:
The computerized publishing method mentioned above comprises the step where the graphics and characters in the graphic display buffer are retrieved and logically calculated with the original ones; the undesired graphics and characters which are cross overlapped are eliminated.
The computerized publishing method also comprises the step where the names of graphics are stored in a file header--thus, graphics can be processed as characters.
The computerized publishing method further comprises the step where the published object can be processed as characters or graphics depending on the needs.
The computerized publishing method mentioned above comprises the steps of processing the chemical symbols:
The computerized publishing method further comprises the following steps:
The objectives, effects and advantages of the system and method in accordance with the present invention are illustrated more clearly with the figures as follows.